Stadium Plans

[chignalwolf]

Interesting. There are probably as many or more who can only attend if they can sit down. I suspect that there will be a lot of people moving in the summer.

Yeah should imagine that's more the case, if the seats were higher and more leg room I would be OK for a while. Imagine having those
managers and subs plush leather chairs on the South Bank. and perhaps a personal monitor, ah and perhaps a waiter getting the drinks and food in, Still prefer to stand tho

 

[JayStringer]

Interesting. There are probably as many or more who can only attend if they can sit down. I suspect that there will be a lot of people moving in the summer.

Yep. It's long been the sensible answer, too. Different people have different tastes (and physical needs) when watching football, allow a stadium to give as many options as possible. It's taken way too long to reach this point.

For my own tastes and needs....I grew up always wanting to stand behind the goals. But with my knees and feet these days, sitting it better for me.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Remarkable, insane even. Citeh had trouble filling their stadium recently, yet are now planning to expand it to 61k in order to keep up with the others…

Manchester City bid to overhaul Arsenal . . . in battle for stadium supremacy — The Times and The Sunday Times

Manchester City could host crowds of 61,000 if plans for the expansion of the Etihad Stadium are given the green light. City announced on Tuesday that they want to add another tier to the North Stand, which would increase the stadium’s overall capacity from 53,400 to “over 60,000”. The club...

apple.news

 

[Achilles Last Stand]

Remarkable, insane even. Citeh had trouble filling their stadium recently, yet are now planning to expand it to 61k in order to keep up with the others…

Manchester City bid to overhaul Arsenal . . . in battle for stadium supremacy — The Times and The Sunday Times

Manchester City could host crowds of 61,000 if plans for the expansion of the Etihad Stadium are given the green light. City announced on Tuesday that they want to add another tier to the North Stand, which would increase the stadium’s overall capacity from 53,400 to “over 60,000”. The club...

apple.news

Ambishun man, ambishun!

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Remarkable, insane even. Citeh had trouble filling their stadium recently, yet are now planning to expand it to 61k in order to keep up with the others…

Manchester City bid to overhaul Arsenal . . . in battle for stadium supremacy — The Times and The Sunday Times

Manchester City could host crowds of 61,000 if plans for the expansion of the Etihad Stadium are given the green light. City announced on Tuesday that they want to add another tier to the North Stand, which would increase the stadium’s overall capacity from 53,400 to “over 60,000”. The club...

apple.news

Insane when you think that's a similar expansion to the entire size of our North Bank. To be fair the Etihad is a great stadium given it's history, so much better than WHAM. Long way up in the 300 blocks, but I think that's inevitable for a 60k stadium.

 

[Yamalroite]

Walked down the bank towards steve bull stand earlier. Looks awful, so old that stand.
Away fans walking down from station must really think Molineux is a ****hole.

 

[Oakhamwolf]

Walked down the bank towards steve bull stand earlier. Looks awful, so old that stand.
Away fans walking down from station must really think Molineux is a ****hole.

Yes it’s bad, the whole ground needs painting, don’t know why they arent at least doing the basics

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Walked down the bank towards steve bull stand earlier. Looks awful, so old that stand.
Away fans walking down from station must really think Molineux is a ****hole.

The Bully and South Bank both looking pretty tired now. I feel the north bank still looks a bit cheap with the corrugated cladding up top too. The club could do much better.

 

[Oakhamwolf]

The Bully and South Bank both looking pretty tired now. I feel the north bank still looks a bit cheap with the corrugated cladding up top too. The club could do much better.

So many grounds have a little spruce up, just nothing being done down the Mol, we all know they aren’t going to do anything major, and we have accepted the tiny screens, and crap PA, however at least the ground should look like a top level ground, not a ground that looks like we have been in the Championship for the last 5 years with not a pot to **** in.

 

[SanFranWolf]

The Bully and South Bank both looking pretty tired now. I feel the north bank still looks a bit cheap with the corrugated cladding up top too. The club could do much better.

The Bully, South Bank and Billy Wright have looked pretty tired for about 5 years now Bill. I know it's all about the football on the pitch, but Molineux just looks like a dogs breakfast.

I'm not sure I like the design but even the new Riverside stand at Creaven Cottage looks a million times more modern than anything we have.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Not sure why Fosun did so much stuff, replacing faded seats, installing rail seating, putting up screens initially, but now seem to have little interest in the infrastructure.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Not sure why Fosun did so much stuff, replacing faded seats, installing rail seating, putting up screens initially, but now seem to have little interest in the infrastructure.

It rather feels like that was Dalrymple's doing and once he left....

 

[WasStefan]

The Bully, South Bank and Billy Wright have looked pretty tired for about 5 years now Bill. I know it's all about the football on the pitch, but Molineux just looks like a dogs breakfast.

I'm not sure I like the design but even the new Riverside stand at Creaven Cottage looks a million times more modern than anything we have.

Bizarre thing to say about Molineux.

 

[WasStefan]

Remarkable, insane even. Citeh had trouble filling their stadium recently, yet are now planning to expand it to 61k in order to keep up with the others…

Manchester City bid to overhaul Arsenal . . . in battle for stadium supremacy — The Times and The Sunday Times

Manchester City could host crowds of 61,000 if plans for the expansion of the Etihad Stadium are given the green light. City announced on Tuesday that they want to add another tier to the North Stand, which would increase the stadium’s overall capacity from 53,400 to “over 60,000”. The club...

apple.news

It seems 60k is the sweetspot for stadiums in this country

I dont think we could ever fill 60k week in week out. 34-40k is enough.

 

[SanFranWolf]

Bizarre thing to say about Molineux.

I don't know Stefan, have a walk around the stadium starting from the Billy Wright and it's not difficult to spot a lot of places where it's been let go.

The cables that for some reason hang from the Steve Bull roof to the Jack Harris in that corner look like a left over from the seventies.

 

[WasStefan]

I don't know Stefan, have a walk around the stadium starting from the Billy Wright and it's not difficult to spot a lot of places where it's been let go.

The cables that for some reason hang from the Steve Bull roof to the Jack Harris in that corner look like a left over from the seventies.

Molineux is absolutely fine. The Bully needs doing we all know that. South bank redev would be nice to have but not absolutely needed

In any case give me Molineux as it is over every soulless identikit new build you see these days

No idea what cables you are on about tbh

 

[WickedWolfie]

Molineux is absolutely fine. The Bully needs doing we all know that. South bank redev would be nice to have but not absolutely needed

In any case give me Molineux as it is over every soulless identikit new build you see these days

No idea what cables you are on about tbh

Molineux is rapidly going to seed. Basic maintenance such as a coat of paint periodically would be a good start.

 

[wolvesjoe]

For me, easily the biggest mistake made during the Fosun era. A plethora of excellent reasons to have acted decisively years ago:

A strategic statement.
Allowing the next generation of fans to attend games.
Allowing a wider section of community to attend.
Become a more powerful magnet for the West Midlands available audience.
Improving the matchday atmosphere, key to the kind of home records, that
define the successful clubs, (please go and just look at the figures).
Over time, a significant increase in revenue from matchday revenues and increased sponsorship.
A catalyst for the desperately needed regeneration of Wolverhampton city centre.

Something to be proud of.

I suspect that Wolverhampton Council have proved to be low rent, low vision partners and have been a major obstacle to
an ambitious project, but that's just a hunch.

It would be interesting what others think, and if others rate it as a disastrous mistake, or something much less important.

 

[Monketron]

 

[Kingswood Wolf]

I'm a simple man, and here's a simple answer:

Money.

 

[Krispy Kreme]

A two year pandemic didn't help.

 

[SuperGran]

Money

 

[TheConcourse]

Reasons not to expand Molineux:

- no guarantee of an improved atmosphere
- $$$$$$$
- potential behavioural shifts as people join platforms like the Metaverse
- potential streaming shifts as giants like Amazon join the party

Everyone would love to see a bigger and better ground, but I genuinely expect viewing habits of fans to change significantly over the next 5-10 years

Anything we build would have to be multi-purpose, and even then you’re banking on Wolverhampton as a City being desirable enough for brands to put their time into.

I think they’re doing the right thing atm. Invest in the brand and the team.

 

[SuperGran]

We only started selling out the last few games

 

[Bill S Preston Esq.]

Everyone would love to see a bigger and better ground, but I genuinely expect viewing habits of fans to change significantly over the next 5-10 years

I can't see a significant change in viewing habits. I can watch every game at home in bed if I wanted. My first choice is to attend the match which at every feasible opportunity is exactly what I do.

I don't think viewing habits have changed much over the past one hundred years.

 

[wolvesjoe]

A two year pandemic didn't help.

Fosun took over Wolves almost 4 years before any of us had heard of Covid

 

[Ned]

The talk of making Molineux 50,000 was always, in my eyes, overkill. 40-45,000 would be about right as to where the club currently are with the fan base. I’d make the south bank higher and steeper and 1 single tier as it is but obviously the SB needs knocking down and rebuilding.

But yea, Money.

 

[JOSWolf]

They really could do with sorting out the Steve Bull stand as it is really poor but I would much rather most of the money is invested on the squad at present. Work will need to be done soon though. The Steve Bull stand cant be left too much longer like it is.

 

[reanswolf]

The talk of making Molineux 50,000 was always, in my eyes, overkill. 40-45,000 would be about right as to where the club currently are with the fan base. I’d make the south bank higher and steeper and 1 single tier as it is but obviously the SB needs knocking down and rebuilding.

But yea, Money.

Bang on Ned.

Also i think they had visions of a new ground at the I54 site, but thank goodness we stayed put. You can certainly understand them prioritising the team. Also they may have thought 'ungrateful **********s' since we made it clear we don't want the I54 site.

I just wish they would do that £16m adaption of the Steve Bull stand to bring it closer to the pitch.

 

[WolfLing]

Reasons not to expand Molineux:

- no guarantee of an improved atmosphere
- $$$$$$$
- potential behavioural shifts as people join platforms like the Metaverse
- potential streaming shifts as giants like Amazon join the party

Everyone would love to see a bigger and better ground, but I genuinely expect viewing habits of fans to change significantly over the next 5-10 years

Anything we build would have to be multi-purpose, and even then you’re banking on Wolverhampton as a City being desirable enough for brands to put their time into.

I think they’re doing the right thing atm. Invest in the brand and the team.

Exactly this.

The cost outlay to tangible benefit are minimal.

Unlike some other owners, money is still an object for Fosun. They are business people first and foremost.

Why spend millions to allow maybe 5,000 more locals the option of attending or not, when for a fraction of the price you can try to reach hundreds of thousands globally instead by investing in and expanding the brand through other means.

 

[Krispy Kreme]

Fosun took over Wolves almost 4 years before any of us had heard of Covid

So you think they should of expanded it when we were in the champ? Not even selling out?

Or should of spent the money on a stadium expansion instead of the premier League signings?

Or do they have a magic money tree???

 

[TheConcourse]

I can't see a significant change in viewing habits. I can watch every game at home in bed if I wanted. My first choice is to attend the match which at every feasible opportunity is exactly what I do.

I don't think viewing habits have changed much over the past one hundred years.

Will be interesting to see how people react when Amazon gives you access to every game for £30 a month.

I agree with you to an extent. My preference would be at the game, but the cost of living; other factors around what’s actually going to happen to jobs as AI becomes more advanced could mean that people change their spending habits.

Will be very interesting to see how it all plays out. I certainly wouldn’t be chucking £100m at it right now though, and presumably that would give us a basic identikit stadium.

 

[wolvesjoe]

So you think they should of expanded it when we were in the champ? Not even selling out?

Or should of spent the money on a stadium expansion instead of the premier League signings?

Or do they have a magic money tree???

Well, they were in the Premier for 2 years before the pandemic, so again not an excuse.

 

[TheConcourse]

Exactly this.

The cost outlay to tangible benefit are minimal.

Unlike some other owners, money is still an object for Fosun. They are business people first and foremost.

Why spend millions to allow maybe 5,000 more locals the option of attending or not, when for a fraction of the price you can try to reach hundreds of thousands globally instead by investing in and expanding the brand through other means.

Struggle to disagree with this. Ground development has to be one of the worst customer acquisition costs you’re likely to see.

And that’s providing people don’t get bored of the product and that we actually sell out.

This season has shown how susceptible we are to things going badly wrong.

 

[Deleted member (smith)]

So you think they should of expanded it when we were in the champ? Not even selling out?

Or should of spent the money on a stadium expansion instead of the premier League signings?

Or do they have a magic money tree???

I think the magic money tree is a good idea. In fact not acquiring a magic money tree may be a major mistake. By Fosun. Indeed a magic money tree increasing revenues by 500 million a year up to big six levels would seem a prerequisite for stadium expansion.

 

[wolvesjoe]

Exactly this.

The cost outlay to tangible benefit are minimal.

Unlike some other owners, money is still an object for Fosun. They are business people first and foremost.

Why spend millions to allow maybe 5,000 more locals the option of attending or not, when for a fraction of the price you can try to reach hundreds of thousands globally instead by investing in and expanding the brand through other means.

Even spending 100m on an increase to 45000 capacity would lead to something like 8-10 years ROI, if not even sooner.

But even when the investment would be a fairly conservative one at those kind of returns, important to underline that it is not
abount money primarily. Its the aura of success and ambition that is the ultimate reward. From that comes all the other potentially transformative benefits. But to get that aura requires commitment and longterm investment. That's where Fosun's weak points lie.

No matter if it is down to geopolitical matters or simple short-term financial prudence, its the weak point.

 

[Stafford]

I enjoy us having a proper football stadium, mainly from a nostalgic point of view. 30K is enough, we sell it out. It feels right.

 

[Jonzy54]

I am sure they have their reasons which is probably down to money but there is no excuse for not giving the ground a spruce up .Some of the external paint work is filthy and there are areas outside the Steve Bull that just look awful and tatty .
Perhaps Jeff never walks round there.

 

[YouGottaRaulWithIt]

A two year pandemic didn't help.

We can't blame covid. Fosun gave up on the idea of developing Molineux way before then.

 

[JohnB]

Clearly money and RoI.

My problem was the explanation was interest rates were too high - when they were the lowest they’ve ever been. So it feels that we’ve missed the opportunity.

Surprised that Fulham, Liverpool, Villa, City, Leicester et al can obtain better rates or can all easily fill stadium.

Not fully read FFP but surely we need extra revenue to help or we go backwards. I also worry that health and safety will shut down SB as they did the GH stand.

Not bothered about a 50k stadium or trying to be ahead of Villa but a step up to 40k with an improved and wrapped SB and a larger South Bank would be fine by me.